Airport prepares for Irish invasion

Bristol International expects more than 10,000 additional passengers to pass through the airport this weekend as a result of the Heineken Cup final between Munster and Toulouse at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday (24th May).

With thousands already booked on flights to Cardiff, Bristol International is also anticipating an influx of Irish and French rugby fans desperate to get to the big game. Sixty five additional flights are expected, the majority from Cork and Shannon, both hotbeds of Munster support. Regular scheduled flights from Dublin, Toulouse and Knock are also expected to be full.

Once at Bristol International, many fans will be travelling on 62 coaches making the journey over the Severn, and others will be making use of the Flyer express coach service from the airport to Bristol Temple Meads station.

Shaun Browne, Head of Route Development at Bristol International Airport, said:

“Many rugby fans will be staying in Bristol’s hotels and using local coach companies to get to Cardiff, so this weekend’s flights are good news for the local economy.”

Extra staff will be on duty at the airport to ensure things run smoothly, shops and restaurants are extending their opening hours for passengers on late evening post-match return flights, and two additional mobile bars are being installed so the winners can toast victory!

The Bank Holiday weekend will also see thousands of passengers heading off for a break in the sun or simply to visit friends and family around the UK and overseas, with total passenger figures for the period (Friday 23rd – Monday 26th) expected to top 90,000.

Bank Holiday Monday also sees Flyglobespan’s inaugural flight from Bristol International to Toronto take off. The flight will operate weekly throughout the summer, with one-way fares from £169.99.

For rugby fans or aviation enthusiasts looking for a memento of the weekend, copies of Saturday’s ‘Mayfly’ (the flight schedule for the day) will be available at the airport information desk at a cost of £2, with all proceeds going to Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital.